Transcript Facts and Figures

Syllabus
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Basic Economical Framework
Towards the Information Society
Educated and skilled population
Achievements of the Knowledge Economy
Challenges of the Knowledge Economy
Czech Republic - Some Facts
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Stable political situation
All major political parties united behind the
priority of EU accession
After three years of recession the Czech
economy has clearly recovered
GDP rose by 3.1% in 2001 and is expected to
rise at the same pace in 2002
Growth has been fuelled by rebounding foreign
direct investment, with USD 6.3 billion invested
in 1999 and 4.6 billion in 2000
Basic Economical Framework
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Consistent and predictable economic policy
Extraordinary degree of currency stability maintained by a strong and
independent central bank (Czech National Bank) since 1991
The Czech Republic received the most favourable specific currency risk rating
from the Economist Intelligence Unit in the third quarter of 2000.
First CEE country in the OECD
Member of NATO, fully integrated into other international organisations:
WTO, IMF, UNO, EBRD.
NON-DISCRIMINATION
INVESTMENT PROTECTION
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS PROTECTION
– signatory to the Bern, Paris, and Universal Copyright Conventions
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REPATRIATION OF PROFITS
Basic Economical Framework
Investment Incentives
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An investment incentives package originally approved by Czech government in
April 1998
Act on Investment Incentives - in effect since May 1, 2000
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codifies, simplifies and extends the original national incentive scheme
INVESTMENT INCENTIVES – COMPATIBILITY WITH
THE EU DIRECTIVES
INVESTMENT INCENTIVES FOR STRATEGIC
SERVICES
Legal Environment for Investments
NON-DISCRIMINATION
YES!
100% FOREIGN OWNERSHIP POSSIBLE
YES!
FREE ENTRY AND EXIT
YES!
SUPPORT AND PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS
YES!
DOUBLE TAXATION PREVENTION TREATIES
YES!
FULL CONVERTIBILITY OF CZECH CURRENCY
YES!
POSSIBILITY TO ACQUIRE REAL ESTATE *
YES!
INVESTMENT INCENTIVES
YES!
*
THROUGH A LOCAL SUBSIDIARY
Towards the Information Society
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1998-2000: First Steps towards Coordination of
Information and Communication Policy
– October 98 - Government Council for State
Information Policy
– April 99 - National Telecommunications Policy
(NTP)
– May 99 - State Information Policy (SIP)
– May 2000 - SIP Action Plan (AP SIP)
– June 2001 - eEurope+ adopted by government
SIP - Eight Priority Areas
I. Information/Digital Literacy
II. IT-based Democracy
III. Development of Public Administration Information
Systems
IV. Communications Infrastructure
V. Trustworthiness and Security of Information
Systems and Personal Data Protection
VI. Electronic Commerce
VII. Transparent Economic Environment
VIII. The Information Society: Stable and Safe
SIP - Legal Framework
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Personal Data Protection Act
Free Access to Information Act
Telecommunications Act
Electronic Signature Act
Public Administration Information Systems Act
“The Czech Republic has made good legislative progress in the field of the
Information Society. Acts on Technical Products Requirements, Public
Administration Information Systems and Electronic Signatures have been
in force since 2000, with further alignment to be completed upon
accession. Future efforts should concentrate on the effective
implementation of the adopted laws and on the transposition of the
electronic commerce directive. Certain elements of the electronic
signatures law will have to be reviewed. The Office for Personal Data
Protection will be in charge of the accreditation and supervision of
certification authorities”.
EU Commission 2001 Report
Situation in Telecomunications
Main processes:
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Completion of full liberalization
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Strengthening of regulation (Independent
National Regulatory Authority)
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Full implementation of ONP
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Privatisation of government-held property
shares of telecommunications operators
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Universal service obligation
Educated and skilled population
Educated and skilled population
Status by day 31.12.2000
in that
from state budget
GDP in common prices
Consumer Price Index (1995 = 100)
Public expenditures for education system in common prices
Ministry of Education
Municipalities
Ministry of Agriculture
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Industry and Trade
Ministry of Defence
Public expenditures for education system in % of GDP
From total expenditures for welfare and health care
in % of the GDP
State budget expenditures in common prices
Public expenditures for education system in % of the state budget
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
1 381 100,0 1 572 300,0 1 668 800,0 1 798 300,0 1 836 300,0 1 910 600,0
100,0
108,8
118,0
130,7
133,4
138,6
71 861,6
81 673,6
78 888,0
80 341,9
86 821,8
87 380,8
49 269,3
63 771,5
62 749,1
63 916,5
69 704,6
70 327,8
13 760,9
16 141,2
13 727,3
13 940,2
14 482,6
14 268,4
1 515,5
1 761,0
1 593,0
1 516,0
1 523,8
1 676,5
881,0
x
x
x
x
x
6 434,9
x
x
x
x
x
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818,6
969,2
1 110,7
1 108,2
5,2%
5,2%
4,7%
4,5%
4,7%
4,6%
10 500,0
11 800,0
12 100,0
12 300,0
13 700,0
13 900,0
0,76%
0,75%
0,73%
0,68%
0,75%
0,73%
432 738,0 484 379,0 524 670,0 566 700,0 597 000,0 622 650,0
13,4%
13,5%
12,4%
11,7%
12,1%
11,7%
The share of state budget expenditures for education system
Educated and skilled population
CZECH REPUBLIC:
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THE SKILLS HUB OF CENTRAL EUROPE
IT SKILLS
LANGUAGE SKILLS
The Czech education system pays particular attention to language skills. The proportion
of secondary-level students studying English is as great in the vocational stream as in the
academic stream, and high by European levels at 95-96%. Many school students also
learn German.
The Czechs have a secondary level completion rate second only to the USA. In 1999 88%
of the Czech labour forces aged 24-64 had completed higher secondary education,
compared to an OECD average of 65%.
General education in the Czech Republic rivals the best in the world. The 13-year-old
students attained the best test results in Europe in both mathematics and science in 1995,
and in 1998 the proportion of the adult population that had completed secondary
education was the highest in Europe.
TECHNOLOGY ACHIEVEMENT
Patents
granted to
residents
Internet
hosts
Mean years of
schooling
Mobile
subscribers
(per mil. people) 1998
(per 1,000 people)
2000
(age 15 and above)
2000
(per 1,000 people)
1999
USA
289
179.1
12
312
Germany
235
41.2
10.2
286
Spain
42
21
7.3
312
Italy
13
30.4
7.2
528
Czech Rep.
28
25
9.5
189
Hungary
26
21.2
9.1
162
Slovakia
24
10.2
9.3
171
Greece
(.)
16.4
8.7
311
Portugal
6
17.7
5.9
468
Poland
30
11.4
9.8
102
Country
Source: UN Human Development Report 2001, 10 July 2001
The Czech Republic‘s attainments
The ECDL
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European Computer Driving Licence as an internationally recognized standard of competence
for serving in an office
Czech Technology Parks
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Brno – providing support for machinery industry, equipped with modern business premises for
technology companies in a business park environment
Ostrava – light industry background
Prague – establishment under way; will provide institutional support for technology transfers
Inflow of knowledge into the CR
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Participation on international programmes
Distance learning programmes
Increasing interest in MBA studies, Master and Doctoral programmes
Short term attachments of our employees in abroad
Consultancies and supra-national firms employing Czech experts
Other successes
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Distance learning project 150 PC‘s
Technology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences - co-operation with SMEs
Certificate authorities for e-signatures
CESNET
Challenges of the Knowledge Economy
Specific strengths of the CR on its way to becoming
globally competitive in the knowledge economy:
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high proportion of value-added production
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high investments into ICT infrastructure
good potential of skilled people
high volume of FDI
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The greatest weaknesses of the CR:
some islands of the KE are ready
nation-wide knowledge strategy development missing
co-ordination of the KE support activities missing
Challenges of the Knowledge Economy
The most difficult challenges the CR faces in the
building of the knowledge-based economy:
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low perception of the value knowledge in all segments
overestimation of the market positioning (by our firms)
low participation on R&D by private companies (SME’s)
low co-operation between academic, entrepreneurial and
government sectors
Towards the knowledge strategy
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Restructure and downsize the academies and institutes,
and bring in foreign partners
De-regulate bureaucratic licensing and taxation
machinery to encourage foreign (and domestic)
investment
Improve legal and regulatory framework affecting
business relations, intellectual property rights
Private state-owned enterprises operating in the
knowledge and technology sector
De-monopolize communications sector
Introduce computers and Internet connection to schools
in rural areas (through the post office), develop rural and
urban tele-centers
Establish e-government projects
Reform the higher education sector; also through
distance learning.
in progress
in progress
in progress
YES
Thank you for your attention.